651. Modern Human Sacrifices
I grew up here in Germany taking it for granted, that nature and forests are safe places. As a child I had known of wolves and bears only from fairy tales as of a historical peril to humans in times long gone by. I also took the general consent for granted that having eliminated all dangerous animals from densely populated Germany centuries ago was beneficial beyond doubt.
I took this so much for granted, that I was not even grateful for the safety of German forests. Today I am grateful to live, where there are no dangerous animals except those safely in cages in the zoo. (It is bad enough, that some men are not better than dangerous animals.)
I grew up here in Germany taking it for granted, that nature and forests are safe places. As a child I had known of wolves and bears only from fairy tales as of a historical peril to humans in times long gone by. I also took the general consent for granted that having eliminated all dangerous animals from densely populated Germany centuries ago was beneficial beyond doubt.
I took this so much for granted, that I was not even grateful for the safety of German forests. Today I am grateful to live, where there are no dangerous animals except those safely in cages in the zoo. (It is bad enough, that some men are not better than dangerous animals.)
But I do not take this for granted anymore. I just watched a documentary about how humans are ruthlessly exposed to dangers by irresponsible people.
"The cougar is also commonly known as a puma, mountain lion, mountain cat, catamount, or panther. The sub-population in Florida, which is the only population east of the Mississippi River, is known as the Florida panther.
At least 20 people in North America were killed by cougars between 1890 and 2011"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_cougar_attacks_in_North_America
Preserving the wild life is certainly important, but it is immoral to force risks upon people, who suffer without a choice, and who have no option to protect themselves. There should be barriers like fences separating humans from predators. Those who enable panthers or bears to enter peoples' gardens are irresponsible and cruel. When such beasts invade a backyard, the people are helpless victims of a situation forced upon them.
Adding the dangers of wolves to the already existing danger of bears in Yellowstone Park is a different situation, because people have a choice to keep away from such dangerous areas. But to make this a real option of safety, such parks need to be fenced in to guaranty the safety outside.
When capitalists' interests are protected, the money to build a fence is raised, as shows the fence along the border between the USA and Mexico. But to protect humans from being killed by bears or panthers brings no commercial benefits, thus people are not protected by fences.
I am very glad for the restricted legal access to firearms here in Germany. But I have full understanding for anybody, who needs a weapon as a means for self-defense against panthers and bears.
I consider the safety of the home from invading dangerous animals as a basic human right. It seems absurd, that shooting a panther leads sometimes to less tolerance and condoning than shooting a burglar.
I consider the safety of the home from invading dangerous animals as a basic human right. It seems absurd, that shooting a panther leads sometimes to less tolerance and condoning than shooting a burglar.
It is criminal to endanger people by forcing the access of dangerous beasts upon them. It is a form of murder by proxy, if someone gets killed by predators like bears and panthers released near human homes.
It is even a variety of human sacrifices. In many cultures through history, humans were sacrificed to deities, who were considered as more significant and more valuable than the lives of the sacrificed victims.
Bringing or allowing panthers and bears enter human habitats is a variety of sacrificing humans. The deity is substituted by some more vague entity as is nature, the planet, wildlife,. This entity too is considered as having more value and more significance than the risked life of individual humans.
There is just one difference. The sacrificing priests were themselves consciously killing the victims and feeling justified to do so. Those sacrificing human life by imposing predators upon victims do not feel responsible, because the do not do the killing themselves and consider it only as collateral damage.
(I am wondering, how many of those, who welcome and protect the panthers in Florida, at the same time define abortion as murder. For them, a woman is required to have any unwanted child, but if the panther would kill the child, they accept this as collateral damage.)
(I am wondering, how many of those, who welcome and protect the panthers in Florida, at the same time define abortion as murder. For them, a woman is required to have any unwanted child, but if the panther would kill the child, they accept this as collateral damage.)
